Elena Gocmen Rueda
A PAINTING by Spanish artist Domingo Zapata depicting Mona Lisa as a bullfighter has sold at auction for more than $1million.
Among those bidding on the artwork was Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio although he was outbid by an anonymous American collector.
The sale of the piece by one of Spain’s most celebrated living artists took place at a charity auction for UNICEF overseen by Sotheby’s on the Caribbean island of St. Barts.
Entitled ‘Mona Lisa Bull Fighter’, the work fetched a new record for the artist, who was born in Mallorca but now has a studio in New York’s Gramercy Park.
“After a heated bidding war, Zapata’s painting has been sold for $1,027,000, surpassing DiCaprio’s bid for the piece,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
“A new auction record for my career! This fills my heart. The 100% will be donated to help children in need,” said the artist in a post on Instagram.
Zapata became a full-time artist in 2002 and sold his first major painting to American billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros in 2005.
The actor Johnny Depp and Diana Picasso – granddaughter of the famous Malaga painter – own works by Zapata as does DiCaprio.
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